Sunday, February 14, 2010

Love is in the Kitchen

Sure, love is in the air on Valentine's Day, but what is in the kitchen?

In my house, it is definitely love. The love of food (usually healthy and delicious at that) is a common thread in my family. It is passed down through generations, and although we all have different preferences, sharing a family meal has always been important.

Being the only vegan can have its difficulties, but one of my favorite things to do is share my vegan goodies with my family. I absolutely love when they say, "What is that? It's vegan? It smells delicious!"

A common question I get at school is wether or not chocolate is vegan. Of course it is! (Well, if you do your research, that is.) Valentine's Day and chocolate seem to go hand in hand. Why is that? I'm not sure but I'm definitely not complaining. So, in honor of today, here are my chocolatey eats.

Today started out with Girl Scout Thin Mint Oatmeal. I think I finally found the secret into making it minty. Take a guess...

If you guessed peppermint tea, you're right! Some people pour milk (hopefully dairy-free ;) ) over their oatmeal, so why not tea? I'm a tea personal allll the way, so I didn't hesitate. I know it sounds weird, but it really makes it nice if done by the spoonful.

I also finally made my own Larabars. Now this is what I call love <3! Thanks to Katie, Katie, Averie, Michal, and sooo many more for inspiration.

30 grams raw almonds

57.5 grams dates

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs extra dark unsweetened cocoa powder

blend, Baby, blend!

Molded into hearts and shared with my mom and Nan (grandmother), these were the perfect end to a love-y day.

I'm not really one for sweets, but give me some of these and I'm a happy camper. Healthy fats + nature's candy + antioxidants = yes please!

Continuing with the theme of love, I showed myself some love by making my favorites.

Well the Valentine's Day is almost over but I still have a date with Mr. Kabocha and Mr. Almond Butter tonight. Playaa ;)

How did you celebrate Valentine's Day? Do you have a special tradition or are you in the process of creating new ones? My boyfriends (above) may not be cuddely or able to give me presents, but they sure are hot (roasted, that is). What's your favorite food?

Have a lovely day!

xox,

Mandiee

P.S. Stay tuned this week for my special Valentine's Day goodies and gadgets (thanks Mom!) that are going to arrive in the mail. I used one to make the Larabars and the other is for my veggie loving. Any guesses?

Thanks for the letting me know you made your own raw treats (and thanks for linking to my ball recipes page!!) and I would say that ground flax vs. whole flax seeds, just convert it the same, i.e. 1/4 c of whole flax seeds = 1/4 c ground. Theoretically you should probably use a smmmmmidge more whole than ground, but raw dessert is not really an exact science, just go by feel til you get "dough" LMK if you need more info or if u make them!